Hello and Happy Thursday!
The good news is was able to snap a picture of my sunflowers before the storm {we had winds up to 18 mph according to the weather app on my phone}. The bad news is we lost about 25% of them due to the high winds. Which of course was a total bummer.
The view from the garden gate. Just look at those squash vines swarming the arborvitae trees. I love the way it looks.
The squash are also growing like mad at the back of the fence {which hopefully the HH will paint today}.
This year I planted sugar pie pumpkins, butternuts, hubbard squash and warty squash pumpkins. We have a healthy squirrel and chipmunk population though so it will be interesting to see how many we end up with by the end of September. Everybody’s got to eat, right? 😉
The brussels sprouts are looking good…
And the English cucumbers are finally starting to come in.
I put a heart shaped cucumber mold on one of them so we could have cucumber slices in the shape of hearts with one of our pickety bits dinners. Maybe I can time it right so the next one I put in a mold will coincide with our anniversary later this month.
The thing I’m most excited about in the garden right now though, is my first ever baby watermelon!!! Isn’t she cute? I think she needs a name.
The sun golds are rolling in… We’re getting about a pint a day right now.
And last but not least, a picture of the garden plot the HH took from above with his drone.
So how are things growing in YOUR neck of the woods these days? What have you been harvesting this past week? Curious minds want to know.
Have a great day everyone,
~Mavis
Deborah says
How about Precious for the tiny melon?
We aren’t harvesting anything. We weren’t able to put in a garden. Getting old isn’t fun, but it’s a privilege not everyone gets. Hopefully next year I can have a container garden.
Laura L. says
Love your way of looking at things….very positive and so true!
Bonnie says
Love your sunflowers. Something so Americana about them. I have a wild cornstalk growing in my back patio area. Ha. I can’t wait to see if it produces anything. I think it’s from birdseed…..Melanie sounds cute for name, but how about Jade. Lol. The watermelons bring back memories of my childhood at Grandpa’s when he sold them under his shade tree. Huge ones! Here in Georgia.
Robin says
Up to 18 mph? Wow, that’s normal here on the Wisconsin coast of Lake Michigan; I call that a breeze. 😉 Winds of 25-35 are normal here as well, rain or shine. When a remnant of Cristobal came through here earlier this summer, I didn’t even see a difference between that and the regular systems we get.
Mrs. M. says
Same here in Texas!
We crack up when we see reporters/meteorologists talk about 20-30 mph “hurricane force winds!” That’s just a breezy day for us.
But, I’m sorry to hear about the sunflower losses. Our tomato plant broke off in our most recent wind storm. 🙁
Molly Jo says
am sure it is a typo since many area winds in Maine yesterday were 85 mph from the hurricane
Mrs. M. says
Michele Ross says
Did you paint or stain your pocket fence? Where do you but white stain for outdoors?
Mavis Butterfield says
Behr tintable white base 11 from the Home Depot. Super easy to apply. 🙂 It’s a stain.
Linda says
Swiss chard, lots of beans, a few potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and a few tomatoes. Lots of blueberries, more than I can use so friends come and pick also. Your absolutely correct when you say your blueberry pie recipe is the best on the planet, thanks for sharing.
Robin Martin says
I think you should name the watermelon Ruby! Seems fitting given the color it will turn when ripe 😉
We are getting squash, broccoli beans, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, and I am just about read to harvest my potatoes. Going to be putting in more kale for fall along with spinach and garlic.
Amy says
She said her name was Esther.
Roslyn McNeill says
Mavis, how can you plant so many different kinds of squash? When I do that I get these freaky frankenstein mixes of zucchini/squash/gourd things that I’m afraid to even feed to the chickens. What am I doing wrong?!
MONICA BROWN says
I am so jealous of your watermelon baby!!!! I tried planting watermelon two different times this year (with two different packs each time) and NONE of them sprouted, at all!!! My chocolate cherry tomatoes have been growing and producing like crazy but my regular beefsteak I have a few green tomatos but something gets to them before they get ripe.
Lisa says
I’d love to see a street view picture of the front of your house with the boulevard plants blooming and filling in!
Mama M says
I have 2 varieties of watermelons and honeydews that are ready for harvest. Cantaloupes soon. We’ve eaten some. I live in zone 4. Not sure why yours are so far behind.
Kathy says
My baby niece is the same shape as your baby watermelon and 1st name that popped was Wendy, her name lol. I’m 7 days post op from hip replacement and a tad loopy right now lol. Have an exceptionally great day!
GC says
Pretty sure her name is Melonie.. ^_~
Mrs. says
Love Melonie!
Mandy Mascaro says
Mavis can you share a link to the type of seeds you’re using for your English Cucumbers please?
Mavis Butterfield says
Here you go: https://www.botanicalinterests.com/product/English-Telegraph-Improved-Cucumber-Seeds
Elle says
Zone 6b: 32# of zucchini has been harvested, diced, roasted and frozen for use later when the tomatoes start up.
6 lemon cucumbers to date (4 plants).
2 quarts of blackberries from Hubster’s organic patch planted 12y ago! It is loaded with little berries 😉
we had heat from 95-105 for 10 days. All my tomato flowers died 🙁 I sure hope more come on!
Wynne says
7b – kale, bolting lettuces, noodle beans (prolific), Persian cucumbers (love), burgundy okra, cherry and regular tomatoes, basil, parsley, mint, peppers (jalapeño, Hungarian wax, cubanelle), chard. Everything’s running late in my yard, so I have lots to look forward to in a few weeks.
Randini says
my lettuce has bolted, but the new crop on the deck shade is coming in now
kale is going ok, but aphids got to most of it
carrots are going gangbusters
but can we talk about the Rhubarb. So. much. rhubarb. I’ve frozen tons, made pies, crisps, Rhubarb vodka. might make rhubarb jam, and given away loads. what else can I do with it?
Nancy W. says
When we had an abundance of Rhubarb I made a delicious barbecue sauce, google Victoria Sauce which is what they call it in the Ball Canning Book. I called it Rhubarbeque Sauce!
JC says
I’m so envious of your squash. I’ve never had any success growing squash here in Florida (zone 9b), as something eats the flowers.
Annette says
Here in Kansas, we say the wind is calm if it’s less than 20 mph.
Guess it’s a matter of what you are used to.
Catherine says
I’m in Kansas as well. A good thunderstorm is much stronger than that.
Laura Z says
I vote for Esmerelda. 🙂
Judy says
Mellie, or Melly, what else could it be.
Ramona says
I left my garden behind when we moved a month ago. I am missing all the raspberries, blueberries, black berries, grapes, rhubarb, peaches and apples I had. I did plant some vegies this spring and hope the new owners are enjoying them also.
Can’t wait to see your heart shaped cucumbers. Years ago when I lived in Washington I bought an apple that the growers had masked out Merry Christmas on the skin. When it was ripe whatever they used left the words on the apple. It was the actual skin that was a different color where it had been masked out. It was kinda a one of a kind gift for my father in law who loved apples.
Veronica says
Zone 8b: overwhelmed by Transparent apples from our tree (43+ quarts of applesauce, 20+ quarts of dehydrated apple rings, a failed crisp, and a couple snacks down and they’re still coming), blueberries from 6 plants are nicely staggered due to different varieties, currently harvesting sugar snap peas and green onions. Need to pick beets and first round of French fillet beans. Hopefully the second planting of carrots and parsnips will sprout soon.
Laura L. says
Baby watermelon called Mel, after your pal who posts such great stuff here on your blog from time to time.